This disclosure relates to an improved rail car.
Railcars have evolved from simple four-wheel, fixed axle vehicles to multi-axle vehicles having sophisticated trucks for significantly improved maneuverability. Such improvements have allowed railcars to move larger loads at greater speeds. One system used to move large loads is a Schnabel car. A Schnabel car uses a combination of trucks, load spreaders and span bolsters to distribute a load over an expanded portion of track.
One prior Schnabel car utilized a rail car freight car having twelve axles. The arrangement specifically utilized two span bolsters each with three 2-axle trucks rotatably mounted on each span bolster. Such arrangement improved dynamic performance on curved track sections, however, having three rotatable points on each span bolster can provide some unpredictability in load movement on track curves.
As such it would be useful to have an improved rail car.